1. Technical Field
The invention relates to fireplace gas burners, and more particularly to a gas burner assembly with associated artificial gas logs which provide a glowing effect similar to that produced by burning natural wood logs in the fireplace.
2. Background Information
Artificial gas logs for use in a fireplace are gaining popularity due to their ease of use and elimination of harmful toxins which may be released into the air when burning natural wood, coal or other fuels. Likewise, such artificial logs are permanent and reusable, and over a period of time are considerably less expensive than natural wood logs or other types of consumable fuel.
However, a common drawback of such artificial gas logs is the lack of a burning pattern simulating that of a natural wood fire, which is desired by many people. It is desirable to produce a glowing effect similar to that produced by a natural wood fire after the flames have died down, which heretofore has been difficult to produce with artificial gas logs.
One common type of gas log burner assembly presently in use today consists of an open-top burner pan which is filled with a noncombustible porous medium, such as sand, vermiculite, ceramic particles, or the like, which covers a perforated gas supply pipe. In these prior art burner pans, the gas is discharged from the supply pipe and filters in a random fashion through the porous medium to a combustion area above the medium, which is usually formed by a plurality of artificial gas logs supported on a grate above the porous medium.
It has been found that due to the random uncontrolled movement of the gas through the porous medium, it is difficult to provide a consistent combustion of the gas adjacent the artificial gas logs in order to provide the desired glowing effect of natural wood logs.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a gas log burner pan assembly which provides a glowing effect closely simulating that of natural wood fires to the artificial logs mounted on the burner assembly.